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How to Make Brandied Cocktail Cherries

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Liquor.com
Liquor.com

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Updated 05/23/23
Homemade brandied cocktail cherries in open mason jar on wood table

Alongside lemon and lime, the cherry is one of bartending’s most iconic garnishes—an edible sweet treat to finish your drink. Whether a Manhattan, Aviation, Tom Collins, or Hurricane, the finishing touch of a cherry, often served skewered on a pick, has become the signature flourish of countless cocktail creations. While the 1980s and '90s saw the cocktail cherry transformed into a sickly sweet, artificial sugar bomb, recent decades have seen a revival in high quality brandied and candied offerings.

While you can always buy jars of brandied cherries, they’re never quite as good as the ones you make yourself. This recipe for flavorful brandied cherries comes from bartender and owner of the legendary Teardrop Lounge in Portland, Oregon, Daniel Shoemaker, and is well worth the extra work.

When you get started, be sure to clear away anything from your workspace that you wouldn’t want to spatter with cherry juice accidentally. Even when you’re careful, mishaps happen, so wear clothes—and maybe an apron—you don’t mind staining. Because of the relatively high alcohol content and sealed jars, these cherries will last a few years if you keep them in a cool, dry space away from sunlight or in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

  • 5 pounds ripe, firm sweet cherries

  • 1/2 cup allspice berries, whole

  • 1/2 cup juniper berries, whole

  • 6 stick cinnamon sticks, lightly crushed

  • 3 pods star anise

  • 5 cups sugar

  • 1 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed and strained

  • 3 cups water

  • 2 1/2 cups brandy

  • 1 1/2 cups rum

  • 1 cup bourbon

Steps

  1. Pull off the stems and punch out the pits of the cherries with a cherry pitter.

  2. Add the juniper berries, allspice berries, cinnamon sticks and star anise to the center of a double layer of cheesecloth and tie into a secure bundle.

  3. Combine the sugar, the lemon juice and the 3 cups of water in another large stockpot that holds at least 10 quarts. Bring to a simmer, stirring just until the sugar is dis­solved.

  4. Add the spice bundle and continue to simmer for about five minutes.

  5. Add the cherries. Using the slotted spoon, stir the cherries until they are all soaked in the syrup and are thor­oughly warmed. You don’t want to actually cook the cherries, just allow them to absorb the syrup.

  6. Return the liquid and cherries to a simmer and pour in the brandy, rum and bourbon, stirring to combine. When the liquid is warmed through, remove the pot from the heat. Be sure not to boil the liquid because you don’t want to cook off too much alcohol.

  7. Using a wide-mouth funnel or jar filler and a slotted spoon, pack each canning jar with cherries, filling it to the top. Give the jar a good tap on the counter to settle the fruit so there are minimal air gaps. Ladle the hot syrup into the jars up to about half an inch from the rim. Place the flat part of the lid on the jar, and screw the band on lightly.

  8. Run the jars through a hot water bath.* Allow them to cool and let the seals form properly. You’ll hear a nice pop as the vacuum forms and the lid is sucked down. Tighten the rings of all the jars that have sealed properly.

*Note: The duration of time needed in the hot water bath depends on your elevation and the size of your jars. Check with your USDA home extension agent for specific information about how to safely can food.

Are Brandied Cherries the Same as Maraschino Cherries?

The terms maraschino cherry and brandied cherry are often used interchangeably today. However, maraschino cherries originally referred to cherries preserved specifically in maraschino liqueur made from mascara cherries.